The Polygon piece on Lords of the Fallen 2’s slip from fall 2026 to 2027 was a relief and a problem. A relief because the studio is taking time. A problem because anyone who played Hexworks’ first attempt and wanted the sequel now waits an extra year. The 2023 reboot built a real audience on the umbral world-shifting mechanic, the deliberately oppressive lighting, and a combat system that rewards counter-timing more than dodge-spam. The void where Lords of the Fallen 2 would have been needs something to fill it.
We played seven Lords of the Fallen alternatives on Windows. The list mixes the obvious souls-likes (Elden Ring, Dark Souls III, Sekiro) with the underplayed picks that scratch the same itch differently (Code Vein for the lore-and-customization fans, Mortal Shell for the punishing-short-runs crowd, Black Myth Wukong for the cinematic combat readers). Hollow Knight Silksong is the wildcard pick that proves the genre is not exclusive to 3D action.
Each game runs natively on Windows, with Linux compatibility verified on Steam Deck and standard Proton setups noted per game.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Cost | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elden Ring | Open-world soulslike scale | $59.99 | Massive seamless world, mounted combat |
| Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | Reactive parry-based combat | $59.99 | Posture and counter system replaces dodge-rolling |
| Dark Souls III | The canonical FromSoftware loop | $59.99 | Tightest level design in the series |
| Black Myth: Wukong | Cinematic action soulslike | $59.99 | Mythological set-pieces, transformation system |
| Code Vein | Anime-style RPG soulslike | $49.99 | Deep character creator, AI companion |
| Mortal Shell | Short, brutal indie soulslike | $29.99 | Hardened mode and shell-swap mechanics |
| Hollow Knight: Silksong | 2D Metroidvania soulslike | $19.99 | Tight platforming over deep lore |
Why "what should I play after Lords of the Fallen" is the question
The pattern across r/LordsoftheFallen and Steam reviews is consistent:
- The umbral world-shift is a one-of-a-kind mechanic. Players burn through the campaign in roughly 35 to 45 hours and immediately want more soulslike content that uses verticality and dual-world layouts.
- The combat system, with its parry timing and ranged options, sits between Dark Souls III and Sekiro. Players want to revisit that hybrid feel.
- Hexworks’ confirmed two-year window for the sequel means players are looking at a long gap, not a few months.
- The base game’s New Game+ is generous but finite. After the third NG+ cycle the diminishing-returns problem of any soulslike kicks in.
- Co-op was a meaningful part of the appeal. Drop-in co-op alternatives matter more than for solo-focused fans.
Each pick below addresses one of those gaps. None is a one-for-one replacement — Lords of the Fallen’s umbral mechanic is genuinely unique. Played in sequence, the list covers the rest of what makes the genre worth the time investment.
The 7 best Lords of the Fallen alternatives for PC
Elden Ring — Best open-world soulslike scale
Elden Ring is the natural first stop. FromSoftware’s open-world approach is the closest you get to Lords of the Fallen’s umbral verticality at a scale ten times larger. Mounted combat, dynamic weather, six demigod boss arcs, hidden underground regions, and a build system flexible enough to support pure-strength colossal-weapon runs alongside intelligence-focused ranged builds.
For Lords of the Fallen players who wanted more world to explore, Elden Ring offers an entire continent. The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC adds a second region that is meaningfully different in tone.
Where it falls short: No umbral world-shifting equivalent — Elden Ring’s vertical layering is conventional. Late-game balance leans hard toward Faith and Bleed builds. Sound mixing on PC has historically been louder than necessary; HDR setup takes effort.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $59.99 (regular discounts to $39.99)
- DLC: Shadow of the Erdtree at $39.99
- vs Lords of the Fallen: Comparable price, much larger scope
Linux note: Verified on Steam Deck. Runs well on Proton.
Download: Elden Ring on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Elden Ring when you wanted more world. The scale is the answer to “is there more of this.”
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice — Best reactive parry-based combat
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the soulslike where the dodge-roll instinct gets you killed. The combat is built around posture damage and reactive deflects, which is a different reflex tree from Lords of the Fallen’s stamina-managed swings. Once the parry rhythm clicks (usually around the Genichiro fight), the combat becomes the most satisfying first-person-style dance in the genre.
For Lords of the Fallen players who appreciated the parry option, Sekiro is the full commitment to that idea. The grappling-hook traversal also gives the game a verticality that maps loosely onto Lords’ axial-world feel.
Where it falls short: No build customization. No multiplayer or co-op. The boss difficulty wall before the parry clicks is real and turns off some players.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $59.99 (regular discounts to $19.99)
- vs Lords of the Fallen: Comparable price, narrower mechanical scope
Linux note: Verified on Steam Deck. Plays well at locked 30 fps.
Download: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Sekiro when the parry-based combat in Lords of the Fallen was the part you wanted more of.
Dark Souls III — Best canonical FromSoftware loop
Dark Souls III is the tightest of FromSoftware’s classic three. The level design is interconnected without being labyrinthine, the boss roster is the strongest in the series, and the combat is faster than Dark Souls I and II without going full Bloodborne. For Lords of the Fallen players who built their tolerance on Hexworks’ tribute to the genre, Dark Souls III is the source material.
The PvP scene is still active, the build variety is enormous, and the two DLCs (Ashes of Ariandel, The Ringed City) extend the runtime by another 15 to 20 hours of high-quality content.
Where it falls short: No mounted combat or open world. The DX11 renderer can chug at native 4K on older GPUs. The first-time learning curve is steep without prior soulslike experience.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $59.99 (regular discounts to $14.99)
- vs Lords of the Fallen: Comparable price, older but still the genre standard
Linux note: Verified on Steam Deck. Proton runs it flawlessly.
Download: Dark Souls III on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Dark Souls III when you want the most polished version of the formula Lords of the Fallen built on.
Black Myth: Wukong — Best cinematic soulslike
Black Myth: Wukong is the most visually ambitious soulslike on the list. Game Science’s debut is built on Unreal 5 and uses the engine’s lighting and Nanite geometry to produce set-pieces that read more like a film than a game. The combat sits between God of War and Sekiro: heavier than Lords of the Fallen, with a transformation system that lets Wukong shift into defeated enemies for combat advantages.
For players who wanted Lords of the Fallen’s cinematic moments cranked higher, Wukong delivers the spectacle. The boss roster is the strongest of any soulslike released in 2024.
Where it falls short: Linear chapter structure rather than interconnected world. No multiplayer. PC optimization shipped rough at launch and has improved gradually rather than dramatically. Story telling is spotty for non-Chinese-mythology-literate players.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $59.99 (regular discounts to $39.99)
- vs Lords of the Fallen: Comparable price, more cinematic, less world
Linux note: Playable on Steam Deck but at low settings; modern desktop Linux on a discrete GPU is the better experience.
Download: Black Myth: Wukong on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Black Myth: Wukong when you wanted Lords of the Fallen’s cinematic boss reveals turned up to maximum.
Code Vein — Best anime-style RPG soulslike
Code Vein is the underrated pick. Bandai Namco built a soulslike with an anime art direction, the deepest character creator in the genre, and an AI companion system that lets you bring an NPC partner into every fight. The combat is closer to God Eater than Dark Souls, with combo strings, gun forms, and Code-specific abilities.
For Lords of the Fallen players who liked the customization side, Code Vein has the customization the genre is otherwise short on. The story is anime-melodramatic in a way that lands or does not depending on taste; the dungeon design is the genuine weakness.
Where it falls short: Late-game dungeon design recycles textures heavily. Boss difficulty is uneven. AI companion can be overpowered when ranked up, removing the soulslike tension.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $49.99 (regular discounts to $9.99)
- DLC: Three story DLCs at $9.99 each
- vs Lords of the Fallen: Cheaper, more customization, less polished dungeons
Linux note: Playable on Steam Deck.
Download: Code Vein on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Code Vein when the character creator and build experimentation matter more than the level design.
Mortal Shell — Best short, brutal indie soulslike
Mortal Shell is the lean indie pick. Cold Symmetry’s debut takes about 15 hours to finish, runs on systems that struggle with Lords of the Fallen, and uses a shell-swap mechanic where each playable character is a different class with fixed stats. The Harden ability — turning to stone mid-combo to absorb a hit — is the standout system, and the Hardened mode for NG+ amps up the difficulty meaningfully.
For Lords of the Fallen players who wanted a tighter, shorter soulslike between bigger games, Mortal Shell is the answer. The atmosphere is heavier than the runtime suggests.
Where it falls short: The shorter runtime is the obvious tradeoff. The shell-swap system can feel restrictive for players who like building. Boss roster is limited.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $29.99 (regular discounts to $9.99)
- vs Lords of the Fallen: Cheaper and shorter, denser per hour
Linux note: Verified on Steam Deck. Runs natively well.
Download: Mortal Shell on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Mortal Shell when you want a soulslike that respects your weekend. The atmosphere does most of the heavy lifting.
Hollow Knight: Silksong — Best 2D soulslike alternative
Hollow Knight: Silksong is the wildcard. It is not a 3D action game, it is not first-person, and the camera is fixed. But the soulslike DNA is there: a deliberately oppressive Hallownest-adjacent kingdom, runback-based death penalties, exploration-rewarded progression, and bosses that need multiple attempts and pattern reading. Hornet’s moveset is faster than the Knight’s, and the new world is built around her acrobatic kit.
For Lords of the Fallen players willing to step into 2D, Silksong is the longest-anticipated soulslike adjacent release on the platform, and Team Cherry delivered.
Where it falls short: 2D platforming demands a different reflex set. No multiplayer or co-op. Players who specifically want third-person 3D combat will not find it here.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $19.99
- vs Lords of the Fallen: A third of the price, totally different camera
Linux note: Verified on Steam Deck. Plays well natively.
Download: Hollow Knight: Silksong on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Silksong when the soulslike feeling matters more than the 3D presentation and the budget needs to stretch.
How to choose
The decision tree maps cleanly. Pick Elden Ring if you wanted more world. Pick Sekiro if the parry option in Lords of the Fallen was what you spent the most time on. Pick Dark Souls III if you want the most polished classic soulslike loop. Pick Black Myth: Wukong for cinematic boss spectacle. Pick Code Vein for build customization and anime aesthetics. Pick Mortal Shell when you want a short, dense run. Pick Silksong if you can step into 2D.
Stay on Lords of the Fallen if the umbral world-shift is the mechanic you cared about; nothing else replicates it. The NG+ runs hold up, and Hexworks has continued to patch and rebalance the game through 2025.
FAQ
Is Elden Ring better than Lords of the Fallen?
For sheer scope and quality of build variety, yes. Lords of the Fallen wins on the umbral world-shift mechanic and the dual-world verticality, which Elden Ring does not have.
What is the cheapest Lords of the Fallen alternative?
Hollow Knight: Silksong at $19.99 is the cheapest. Mortal Shell at $29.99 is the cheapest 3D pick.
Are there co-op soulslikes like Lords of the Fallen?
Elden Ring supports drop-in co-op, Dark Souls III has the longest-running summoning sign system in the genre, and Code Vein lets you bring an AI companion through the whole campaign.
Is Lords of the Fallen 2 worth waiting for?
Hexworks slipped to 2027 to give themselves room. The 2023 game proved the team can build the world; the question is whether the sequel improves the boss roster and combat depth.
Which soulslike is closest to Lords of the Fallen?
Mechanically, Mortal Shell is the closest mid-budget pick. Tonally, Dark Souls III is the closest. For Hexworks-style verticality, no game replicates it exactly.
Do any of these run on Steam Deck?
Elden Ring, Sekiro, Dark Souls III, Code Vein, Mortal Shell, and Silksong are Steam Deck Verified. Black Myth: Wukong is playable but not Verified.
